CHA Launches New Child Health Safety Watch for Pediatric Clinicians Nationwide

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Today, the Children's Hospital Association's Child Health Patient Safety Organization® (PSO) launched the Safety Watch, a practical resource for health care organizations and clinicians who care for children. The Safety Watch is designed to help pediatric providers in any setting identify safety risks before harm occurs and take action to protect their patients.

"Every year, millions of children experience preventable harm events in various health care settings. Even one event is too many," said CHA Vice President of Child Health Quality Aisha B. Furbach. "Children's health care comes with unique challenges, which is why we're excited to bring the expertise of our member hospitals to support clinicians in providing the best possible care to children across health care settings. With the Safety Watch, we are equipping our entire health care system to safely care for children."

The insights in the Safety Watch are derived from collaborations and convenings of nearly 60 PSO member hospitals, along with the latest research.

This one-of-a-kind pediatric resource identifies: 

• Immediate safety threats impacting children's hospitals.
• Emerging concerns due to evolving circumstances, technology, or knowledge.
• Ongoing risks appearing in new ways or increasing in frequency.

The Safety Watch also equips health care organizations with specific actions they can take to keep kids safe. Shared learning among PSO members allows children's hospitals to understand the causes of safety events and prevent harm likely to repeat.

The Child Health PSO is a federally registered Patient Safety Organization exclusively dedicated to children's hospitals, giving CHA unique insight into children's safety issues.